Justin Sullivan shoots another powerful winner
CAPETONIAN photographer Justin Sullivan has again been nominated for the prestigious Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, for a striking image of an elephant butchered by poachers.
He describes his image as brutal, but hopes it will hit home and have many discussing the global poaching problem.
“Human-wildlife conflict is the disconnection between us and the wild. We need empathy now more than ever, for both humans and wildlife.
“I’m honoured to be a finalist again in the Stenin contest for an image I captured last year in Botswana called Disconnection. I’ve been holding on to this image for months, awaiting the right opportunity to share it. Having my Disconnection photo announced as a finalist in the Stenin contest is both exciting and heartbreaking,” he said.
The aerial view of the elephant carcass speaks volumes about an elephant brutally mutilated at the hands of poachers.
Sullivan said he had a passion for fighting injustice and creating awareness. “It’s exciting to see that an important issue will make headlines around the world and ignite new interest in the conversations surrounding elephant poaching.
“It’s also heartbreaking as a reminder of the ecological loss we’re facing. This specific elephant was slaughtered in an extremely inhumane manner, and the photo represents not only just how isolated and disconnected the elephant was in that moment, but how disconnected we are from the situation.
“Through this image and the incredible platform the Andrei Stenin contest provides, including a world exhibition tour, I hope to reignite conversations and questions about the future of Africa’s largest mammal.
“This announcement couldn’t come at a more crucial time for elephant conservation, especially with the recent controversial decision by the Botswana government to lift the five-year ban on elephant hunting,” he said.
In 2017, Sullivan won first prize in the Top News category in the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest.
His photograph Stand Off, in which a police officer points his gun at poachers hiding under a table, earned him top spot in the prestigious photo contest.
Sullivan has also captured various wildfires around Cape Town and has won the online poll of the contest for his documentary series Walking with Fire: Going Beyond.